The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-30
A NEWSPAPERS FALsEHoooDs.
Why the Sentinel Persists in Lying About
the Theft of Old Books from the State.

The Sentinel persists in publishing false
statements regarding the recent theft and sale
TO junk dealers of some worthless books stored
in the cellar of the old State house. The books
that were stolen were of no value except as
waste paper, and according to fair estimates
were not worth many dollars. The matter was
of such little Importance that no newspaper in
the city has deemed it worth attention further
than to correct some of the outrageous false
hoods published by the Sentinel. one
of which was an assertion that tho
value of the books was between $4,000
and $50, 900. The Sentinel has persisted
in it's misrepresentation, however until many
people have been misled by it's INSCRIPTIONS
prevarication. "Fhe facts are said Secretary
of State Griffin to Journal reporter yesterday,
''that the basement in the State-buiiding in
winch the old public documents are stored, Is
accessible every person in the building. 1t is
not separated into rooms but all In one contin-
nous apartment. 1t is used by all the State Of
hcers, both Republicans and Democrats The
coal for all the Offices is kept in this basement and
every janitor in the building who has access to
the COAL also has access to everything else stored
in this basement The janitors of the Supreme
Court the Library anc Reporter of the Supreme
Court are appointed by the respective officers.
Democrats. and are of course. respon-
sible to them. This is nothing new,
for it has always been The
books and documents stored there are the sur
plus left year after year after the distribution
REQUIRED bv law, OF the documentary Journals,
House and Senate journals, and various other
public documents, and are stored there for want
of a more convenient place. and because they
of little or no value to anybody, except the
weight as waste paper. The original cost to the
State of every book and public document that
has been taken from this cellar so far as dis
covered, could not have been to exceed go.
Their present worth to the State. save as waste
paper, is nothing The Sentinels statement
that revised statutes and reports of the Supreme
Court had been stolen is unqualiedly false.
- hoo Of tho Paw, coa
Statutes nor of the Supreme Court reports kept
in this basement Two boxes of books were
found in the possession of the Indiana Paper
Company, but not more than one half OF them
had been taken from this cellar the balance be-
ing old railroad guides, timetables ETC., evil
IDENTIFY purchased at some railroad office. OF
the books found there, which came out of
the cellar nearly all were documentary journals
of 1854 and 1885, of which there
still several hundred volumes left in the cellar
for free distribution; few old Senate journals,
of which there is quantity left, and just four
copies of the acts of Congress in pamphlet form.
These acts of Congress originally cost the State
nothing, but sent here from Washington for
free distribution. and any quantity can be had
for the asking The Sentlneis Information Is
obtained from one Tom Biggs. drunken loafer,
who has served several terms in the peniten-
tiary, and who. of course is a Democrat. and a
proper person to furnish news to such papers as
the Sentinel The object of the attack the
colored janitor. Jones, is, II possible. to weaken
his influence with the colored voters of this
city the eve of tho pending election. Jones
is commander of a colored G. A r. post here,
and active Republican. Hence the Sentinel's
attack, just at the present time. The Sentinel's
continuous abuse of me, aside from political
reasons is also of a personal nature. In the first
place, although they have dubbed me kinder
garten, have been old enough to block several
schemes of the gang during my official term
thus far, and Governor Gray has not found me
IS piable he had hoped. The reasons, per-
sonai. of the Sentinel are: First, Colonel May
nard, the present editor of the Sentinel. was
clerk Of the Printing Bureau in this Office when